The financial advice firm Independent Advisor Car Insurance has ranked the best used cars for new drivers, focusing on models that are cheap to buy and to cover.
Whilst the rising cost of car insurance continues to affect all motorists, those who have recently passed their driving test are lumbered with the highest costs.
Connor Campbell, expert at Independent Advisor Car Insurance, suggested that young drivers should always consider the running costs of the model they are interested in buying.
He explained: “Every car belongs to an insurance group, numbered one to 50, that’ll make it more or less expensive to insure, with cars that fall into the lower groups being less expensive to insure than those in the higher groups.
“So, when shopping around for a second hand car, try and find one in a lower insurance group in order to keep the cost of your cover down.”
According to Independent Advisor Car Insurance’s study, the best car for new drivers is the fourth-generation Nissan Micra, built from 2010 to 2020.
Nissan’s smallest model, the Micra may not be the most beautiful car in the world, but offers good build quality and most used examples sell for under £2,000.
Moreover, whilst there are similar cars that are cheaper to insure, the company noted that the average new driver without a no-claims bonus would be charged £2,758 per year for cover on a Micra.
Another good choice for new drivers is the Vauxhall Corsa, another mainstay in the world of superminis that is often cheap to buy on the used car market.
Independent Advisor Car Insurance noted that a budget of about £2,000 can buy a fourth generation model, which was offered between 2006 and 2014.
Compared to some models of the same age, the Corsa’s styling has remained attractive whilst offering plenty of space and similar insurance prices to the Micra.